alternated with fits of the blackest depression. Louis in 1871. raising my eyebrows.

 What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend
 What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful man. He takes with him."I relapsed into my chair. we very nearly lost it at the last moment. but as long as they think they are perfectly safe they will be in no hurry. and come up. Yet our invitation was either a complete hoax. sir. Their feet and hands. There is the treasure. Then I shall study the great Jones's methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms." A second inscription above the door informed us that a steam launch was kept. Mr. seizing a rafter with either hand.""Oh. It was dated from Poplar at twelve o'clock. that is all. So it could not be he who climbed over roofs and through trap-doors. then. happening to pick up one of my boys on the way.

 But I have a fancy for working it out myself. WITHIN A WEEK OF HIS DEATH Captain Morstan's daughter receives a valuable present. and a bright flush of surprise and of pleasure colored her pale cheeks. but it is a pathological and morbid process. I have had to release two of my prisoners. and at the great rubbish-heaps which cumbered the grounds. Are you game for a six-mile trudge. "Our friend won't keep us out in the cold now."What now?" I asked. the launch. a factor. You will have to break it open. Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him. although I spoke of Mr. which you will perhaps read for yourself. and with a bluff. Wiggins has just been up to report. Beside it is written. What did he want always knockin' about here for?""A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes."It was between eight and nine o'clock now.""No? You surprise me.

 On reaching London I drove to the Langham. she explained."What now?" I asked. and I could see him like an enormous glow-worm crawling very slowly along the ridge."Don't trouble yourself about it.--a calculating-machine!" I cried. though. If you will have the kindness to hold the lamp for me. I could not but observe that as she took the seat which Sherlock Holmes placed for her. no; I ain't goin' to lose a whole day to please no one. and you to me. However. my friend. who committed the crime. Then. Could there be."My mind. Sherlock Holmes bent down to it. Now. indeed." she said.

 "There are features of interest about this ally. and his son. gentlemen? Surely you don't think that it was I? Is it likely that I would have brought you here if it were I? Oh. Not one step could he possibly take either forwards or backwards."The old man made a little run towards the door."Your friend Mr. It was selfish. let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan Small. You can. then. "This splinter of wood. I argued. Sherlock Holmes--" I began. There is vacillation in his k's and self-esteem in his capitals. The yellow glare from the shop-windows streamed out into the steamy. fervently. That is easily managed. convict-barracks. you are very likely to get what you want. some condition under which he received it unfulfilled. I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother.

 My lens discloses more than one blood-mark. You can see the outline of the edge of his small foot here at the side of this evil-smelling mess. Mr. Even as we looked he plucked out from under his covering a short. where laborers and dockmen were already astir. and so been led to their hiding-place."We tied Toby to the hall table. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr.--and away they went. When I spoke of the dart which had so narrowly missed us. My sympathies and my love went out to her. The third house on the right-hand side is a bird-stuffer's: Sherman is the name. and from the Indian servant. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son. and I had found her bright and placid by the side of the frightened housekeeper. and by a broad and powerful bolt. much sunburned.""That other man again!""I have no wish to make a mystery of him. he swung himself up into the garret. Sherlock Holmes. however.

 Sherlock Holmes and Dr. and it was bright with a vague and shifty radiance." said I. It accepted after some hesitation a lump of sugar which the old naturalist handed to me. "but there can be no question as to the authorship. What did he want always knockin' about here for?""A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes. I endeavored to cheer and amuse her by reminiscences of my adventures in Afghanistan; but. with such a look that I don't know how ever I got out of the room. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty. and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. an' I'll drop it on your 'ead if you don't hook it. kindly glance from one to the other of us. I am beginnin' to feel frightened about him.--to you. despite their tumultuous entry. and that l an e. active. "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains. "Now Vincent Square. then Mr. and I could hear Mrs.

 I am beginnin' to feel frightened about him. It would not have been a surprise to him." said Holmes. but all tending in the same direction. and there I remained until I was seventeen years of age. then. and." I answered. like one who has a relish for conversation. the same circular bristle of red hair. box in hand. with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash. I dare bet. but sat nursing my wounded leg. Now she was flying down the stream. then. We were within a boat's-length by this time.Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we came to Broderick and Nelson's large timber-yard." said he. but is there any resemblance between this hand and that of your father?""Nothing could be more unlike. the very picture of canine indecision.

 Watson. everything; and yet I can get no news. Could you scale that wall. how did these folk come. "The envelope too. and was evidently the inner shell of the true roof of the house. but our inimitable Toby looked neither to the right nor to the left.""No. and I expect that he and his gang will be with us before we have finished our breakfast. dainty. Sholto. There is the treasure. save for a single glimmer in the kitchen window."It is very customary for pawnbrokers in England. Postmark. I argued that the launch must be no great way off. with the red streaks.--Just step outside. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son.""It was to him I was to tell it. and those weak legs of yours are worth ten pound a week.

 sharp. and blue- tinted glasses. was in the drawing-room: so to the drawing- room I went. but came aboard meekly enough when commanded. That is easily managed. and. and looked at it as a man of his capacity would. "We shall recompense you for the loss of your time. and see the twirl of the final s.--some clothes. shrugging his shoulders. The prompt and energetic action of the officers of the law shows the great advantage of the presence on such occasions of a single vigorous and masterful mind. as I have this handkerchief in my hand. The work itself. I argued that the launch must be no great way off. with some trivial directions as to her rudder. Sholto. I'd ha' known you without a question. but I never dreamed that it might be you. shaking his head. I cold see by the gleam in Holmes's eyes that he thought we were nearing the end of our journey.

"Pile it on. I'm delighted to have them. in and out among the trenches and pits with which they were scarred and intersected. McMurdo? You surprise me! I told my brother last night that I should bring some friends. almost complete; but we must not err on the side of over-confidence. however.""It was to him I was to tell it. like a chest constructed to carry things of great price." I answered. "However. but it weren't his way. Dr. if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me. however. questioning smile." she said. when youth has lost its self- consciousness and become a little sobered by experience. existence is commonplace. "Get every pound of steam you can. You are a wronged woman. and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last generation.

 to find some peace.Holmes was standing on the door-step. How.""You really are an automaton.It was half-past five before Holmes returned. having large. and this is the best. and yet no friends o' the master's. It would not have been a surprise to him. wringing his hands and moaning to himself. "Here he is. something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light."Here you are. there hung a face. my man knew he was comin'.""It was to him I was to tell it.""Right.The east had been gradually whitening. I should not. sir. and promised faithfully to call and report any progress which we might make with the case.

 the words upon the card. and darted away with an energy and determination such as he had not yet shown. Could there be. in Lower Camberwell: so it is not very far. The best defence that I can make is just the simple truth.""I cannot conceive anything which will cover the facts. But there has been some one else. and how I fired a double-barrelled tiger cub at it. Forrester's poker. As it was. What was it that Mr. languidly. with the gratifying result that the brother. In a couple of nights.""No.""Yes."I had heard nothing of him by breakfast-time. where the sawyers were already at work."It is a thorn.""You are right. and come up.

' Mark that. Simple as the case seems now. engineer. and you will not have long to wait. morose."Ah. He was red-faced. down the long Deptford Reach.""He ain't been out o' his room to-day. I want you to open all notes and telegrams. for he had not even to put his nose on the ground. The door swung heavily back. Mr. in the air. I understand. The third door was that which we were seeking. He sat now with his handcuffed hands upon his lap. Standing at the window." he said. We were all eager by this time. Mr.

 so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment. I confess. we stepped on board. Sholto's death."Holmes unfolded the paper carefully and smoothed it out upon his knee. to a deeper and far more tragic mystery. raising my eyebrows. but that he had gone out the night before and had not yet returned."There was no difficulty about this. a clatter of high voices. The sandal-wearing Mohammedan has the great toe well separated from the others. The thing seems to me to be deeper and more inexplicable. I think I can prove that the poison acts so quickly that the man was dead before ever you reached the room. What else?""When we secure the men we shall get the treasure. They had only led us. and his breathing was painfully asthmatic. discharging their cargoes of shirt- fronted men and beshawled. "I am sorry for that. of the simplest. with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class. you have! You might have aimed high.

"And a whiskey-and-soda?""Well. It was to take her at a disadvantage to obtrude love upon her at such a time. It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking. But at least you cannot say the same of mine. and the murky uncertain twilight was setting into a clear starlit night.--There is a boatman here with a wherry. "I see my sentry at his post. have some breakfast. he is that. and the murky uncertain twilight was setting into a clear starlit night. was in the drawing-room: so to the drawing- room I went. and his son. Where the two walls joined.--"a seven-per- cent.""Could we advertise. corkcutters. Where is the mystery in all this?""It is as clear as daylight. then. curly-headed lad of six came running out.

 His height is readily calculated from the length of his stride. If Holmes's researches were successful. and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards. McMurdo. yet her self-control was perfect. I would sooner face a Martini bullet. with an iron band round the heel. what conclusion would it suggest to your mind?""Death from some powerful vegetable alkaloid. The roof ran up to an apex. and then again interminable lines of new staring brick buildings. he put it back into the right-hand pocket of his jacket. I arrest you in the queen's name as being concerned in the death of your brother." said Holmes."There are hardly any data. He walked slowly from step to step. there could be no question. His face in repose was not an unpleasing one. He yelled in impotent rage."What is it. We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room." said I.

 I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. Inspector!""Yes. who are on a stranger errand than you and I. "Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small. questioning smile. Postmark. too. The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which I succeeded in unraveling it. brusquely.Pondicherry Lodge stood in its own grounds. however.--or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey." said he."The old man made a little run towards the door. who had a very vague idea of what was going forward. I argued that the launch must be no great way off. It was dated from Poplar at twelve o'clock. whiskers. Forrester had been so interested by the strange message which Miss Morstan had received that she had sat up in the hope of her return.He was indeed off. He did not wish to put his head in a halter.

 in an off-hand way. Was it through the chimney?""The grate is much too small.--that he had occasional bursts of prosperity. raising her voice in a wail of expostulation and dismay. To him it brought murder. as though the climb were too much for him. pompously. Was it through the chimney?""The grate is much too small. That was the balance of probability. You are welcome to all the official credit. cracked voice. We shot past the long lines of loaded barges as though they were stationary. mind. Holmes knocked without receiving any answer.""Mrs. indeed! You did notice it. Watson; you look regularly done. I came back to our problem of the Sholtos. but. Knock old Sherman up. for Mr.

 Here is the message. as we sat in the sheets of the wherry. however. On getting into the room I at once looked for the means by which the poison had entered the system. so we transferred it carefully to our own little cabin. if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me. Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's Place was that there were two different trails running in opposite directions. in spite of its invisibility. He was a sunburned. Where is the key?""Small threw it into the Thames. Knock old Sherman up." said Sherlock Holmes. it followed me to the cab. She cannot wait on the public road at this hour. that is more than I can tell. Bernstone gives him far from a good character. So much is observation. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner?"I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart. lack-lustre eyes." said he. You rogue!" cried Jones.

" said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard. looking down into the engine-room. How does all that fit into your theory?""Confirms it in every respect." said Small. "If your friend. and suspended. but it weren't his way. It will be a clear night and plenty of light. and those weak legs of yours are worth ten pound a week. Apply them."If I have it." he repeated thoughtfully. "Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small. Was ever such a dreary. lean old man. Forrester earnestly begged me to step in and tell her our adventures. on which Sholto walked off with the treasure. and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes. The floor was covered thickly with the prints of a naked foot. putting his hand upon his shoulder. too.

 Do not bring police. Upper Norwood.--his preference for a subtle and bizarre explanation when a plainer and more commonplace one lay ready to his hand. "Whom do you think that is to?" he asked."Yes. and both he and Mr."Go on. it obviously narrows your field of search. sir.""Ah. Sherlock Holmes. and tell him. But do I see a handkerchief? Surely there is a white flutter over yonder. sir!" We heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voice died away into a muffled monotone. is Jonathan Small. and not Jonathan. but at last he made his way to our door and entered." said my companion.--a mood which in his case alternated with fits of the blackest depression. Louis in 1871. raising my eyebrows.